ALDF Investigation Exposes Tyson Cruelty

The Animal Legal Defense Fund recently released undercover video footage, taken inside a Tyson Foods’ chicken slaughter plant in Carthage, Texas, documenting shocking systematic abuses of both workers and animals. The following interview with an anonymous investigator working for ALDF explains what was uncovered.

“The overall attitude towards the chickens at the Tyson plant is that they were thought of as objects and not living and feeling beings,” said the anonymous ALDF investigator. “They were nothing more than a commodity. It didn’t seem to matter to anyone if the chickens were hurt or killed in the pre-slaughter process. It was just part of ‘business.’”

ALDF is calling on the three separate federal agencies, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), and the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), to investigate Tyson to put an end to these cruel and illegal practices. You can help support our work to end cruel and illegal practices at slaughterhouses and factory farms by taking action today.

Chicken with leg caught in cage at Tyson facility.

“Our investigation proves that the cruel treatment of chickens by Tyson Foods are not isolated incidents, but a systematic, company wide problem,” said ALDF Executive Director, Stephen Wells. “Tyson Foods is putting profits over not only ethical standards, but state and federal laws.”

Help Fund Undercover Investigations

Undercover investigations take time and money. Without the support of our donors, ALDF cannot continue to expose abuses like the ones discovered at the Texas Tyson facility. We’re planning on making significant investments in our undercover investigation department, including the purchase of a professional grade drone and video equipment. Help us meet our goal!

$8,000 can pay for a high tech drone, which is needed to document animal abuse occurring in locations hidden from public view.

Conducting these investigations is critical to our success. But they are expensive. Depending on their complexity and duration, an undercover investigation can cost between $10,000-$50,000 or more. These costs include equipment, research, cost of investigator, travel, handling of evidence, and legal research and analysis. That does not include any resulting litigation that ALDF may file based on the evidence obtained.

If you would like to be an exclusive behind the scenes sponsor of one of our investigations, please contact Vaughn Maurice, our Director of Development, at vmaurice@aldf.org or 707-795-2533 ex. 1045.

Will you make a gift today to support our new undercover investigations program? (Even if not, please take action below!)

Take Action!

ALDF is calling on the USDA, OSHA, and the SEC to investigate Tyson to put an end to the cruel and illegal practice detailed in our investigation. Join us in demanding that our government hold Tyson Food, Inc. accountable. Take action now!

More Information

Video b-roll, photographs of the Tyson facility, and transcripts are available for download. Any use of these materials must prominently credit the Animal Legal Defense Fund.

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